Man United “close to agreement” to sign Manuel Ugarte for €60 million | OneFootball

Manchester United are “close to an agreement” to sign Paris-Saint Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte for a fee in the region of €60 million, according to a report from France.

Le Parisien, a French newspaper with reputable sources at PSG, reveals a breakthrough in the negotiations has seen both sides “leaning towards an agreement on a direct transfer” for the Uruguayan international.

Ugarte, 23, has become the first-choice target at Old Trafford with United’s recruitment team seeing the combative number six as the ideal candidate to slot into Erik ten Hag’s midfield unit.

The midfielder’s defensive metrics are amongst the best in Europe and his profile appears tailor made to a system predicated on pressing and transitions – exactly what the Dutch manager is seeking to establish this season with United.

Initially, however, PSG’s valuation of Ugarte had threatened to prevent a deal from ever being struck.

The Ligue 1 champions were believed to be demanding a fee as high as €70 million for their midfielder with a minimum expectation of recouping the fee they paid to sign him from Sporting last summer – €60 million (£51 million).

United executives considered this price excessive given the context of the French club seeking to shift a player only one year into his time in Paris. The Red Devils’ limited transfer budget, owing to the constraints of financial fair play (FFP) regulations, was also a hindrance to a transfer that costly.

The prospect of a loan deal, with an obligation to buy clause included, was suggested as one possible means of circumventing these FFP pressures. Fabrizio Romano, the Italian transfer guru, revealed this approach was being actively discussed in negotiations between the two clubs.

However, as relayed by The Peoples Person earlier today, a report by Sky Sports contended United’s “preference” remained a permanent transfer this summer, rather than a loan with a view to one next year. And, based on Le Parisien’s update, this appears to have been on the money.

The French outlet suggests a “direct transfer” worth €60 million is “close” but there are “details [still] to be finalised”. The report further reveals parties on both sides of negotiations are “confident that the operation will come to fruition by the end of the transfer window.”

This assessment is corroborated by Florian Plettenberg, a German football expert, who states “all parties involved [want] to get the deal done soon”, with a “verbal agreement” already sealed. Negotiations are described as “advanced” by the Sky Sports reporter.

At this stage, it feels very much a case of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ Ugarte will become a Manchester United player this summer.